Photovoltaic device and method of manufacture using ferovs

Abstract

The photovoltaic device is formed by coating a substrate with a transparent conducting oxide and then this layer is coated with a dioxide layer. The dioxide layer is then coated in a single step with a precursor solution including metal oxide nanoparticles and perovskites and this precursor can be heated to form a scaffold having a perovskite light absorber and electron transporter. A conductor is added to form a connection with the scaffold and it is envisaged that because a single step relatively low temperature process is used to form the scaffold then this can be painted onto a surface and cured in situ making it a very economical process.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The invention relates to a photovoltaic device and a method of manufacture and in particular but not exclusively the device is based upon using perovskites.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]An efficient solar cell must absorb over a broad spectral range, from visible to near-infrared (near-IR) wavelengths (350 to ˜950 nm), and convert the incident light effectively into charges. The charges must be collected at a high voltage with suitable current in order to do useful work. A simple measure of solar cell effectiveness at generating voltage is the difference in energy between the optical band gap of the absorber and the open-circuit voltage (V.) generated by the solar cell under simulated air mass (AM) 1.5 solar illumination of 100 mW cm−2.[0003]Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have losses, both from electron transfer from the dye (or absorber) into the TiO2, which requires a certain “driving force,” and from dye regeneration from the electrolyte, which ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a method for making a photovoltaic device by coating a compact layer on a substrate with a precursor solution containing metal oxide nanoparticles and perovskites, and heating the precursor solution to form a scaffold with perovskite light absorber and electron transporter. A conductor is then added to form a connection with the scaffold. The invention also provides a precursor solution and a photovoltaic device made by this method. The technical effects of the invention involve improving the efficiency and stability of photovoltaic devices.

Problems solved by technology

These devices have achieved power conversion efficiencies of up to 6.3% However, in such systems there are low open circuit voltages which may be a result of the electronically disordered, low-mobility n-type TiO2.

The manufacture of solar cells based upon perovskites has several procedural steps which increases manufacturing costs because the process takes more time and energy.

The use of sintering to drive off binders etc. means that considerable time is taken to process the structure and also there is the increased cost of heating.

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